M.I.Y.O Monday: What Home-Baked Dish or Dessert Are You Known For?

Note: M.I.Y.O. Monday stands for Make It Your Own Monday, a question thrown out to DCF readers every Monday to jumpstart the week with lively interaction. I also welcome questions and suggestions for future MIYO Mondays. Email me.

To those who know me, I’m famous for my cheesecake. Way before DCF, and in my previous life as a home baker in the early 2000s, I had a thriving cheesecake business I called The Dessert Place (TDP).

In my new(er) life as a mom and tita to my two nephews and one niece (all foodies-in training), and some friends, I’m famous for my chocolate chip cookies. I think that anybody who likes to bake, moms especially, have this cookie cornered.

My chocolate chip cookie recipe isn’t different from any other recipe of its sort. It uses butter, two kinds of sugar, flour, and leaveners. But what’s different about my cookie is my mixing technique. I also use various kinds of imported chocolate, both chips and bars that I chop up myself, so there’s lots and lots of chocolate. It’s all in the details…

… and there’s something else. Every cookie is weighed before being placed on the baking sheet, with each one tipping the scales at 4 ounces, or 112 grams. It’s one mighty cookie yes, that bakes up puffy and fat with crisp exteriors, similar to the one you see in the photo above.

I tend to “personalize” these cookies when I make them just for my Bin and Boo. Boo doesn’t like chocolate chips in her chocolate chip cookies (am still trying to figure this one out), so I omit the chocolate and bake up plain cookies for her using the same dough. For my Bin, there are times he likes nuts in his chocolate chip cookies and sometimes he won’t have them, so I make a little of both. The various preferences remind me of the times when I was a home baker accepting orders way back when.

We eat these fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies and dip them in milk, the kitchen still awash in the oven’s heat; it suffuses us all in aromas of butter and sugar. “These are so great, Mom!” Boo says, her mouth littered with golden crumbs, and on her chin, drops of milk. “They’re just cookies, love,” I reply, wiping away those milk drops. “Anyone can make them.” “Nope, not the way YOU make them.” My Bin says resolutely, reaching for his second cookie.

Comments

Cashew nut or peanut butter. Ever since little, mum and I have this bonding moment over grinding fresh roasted nuts and blending them with extra virgin olive oil, raw honey, a pinch of sea salt and lots of love/laughter. Thank you for bringing sweet memories back (:

Vickie-
My sister makes the best homemade salsa, super fresh too and made with some of the juice from a bottle of jalapenos. Now is also an opportune time to make guacamole since avocados are in season.

Aww, Boo, why? Haha. But that’s cute. I’m just not sure if you can still call them choco chip cookies without the chocolate chips? 🙂

My family (and friends / officemates / neighbors) are crazy about my chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese filling, dipped lightly in homemade butterscotch sauce and topped with dark chocolate frosting 🙂 Photo below is from the first successful batch, also my first time to play with my own frosting, which should explain the inconsistent piping, haha.

I’ve never quite nailed down cookies – I like them chewy and a bit soft – but what you wrote about how it’s all in the details made me want to start experimenting with cookies again 🙂

Maro-
Boo used to love regular chocolate chip cookies when she was younger. I don’t know when she got all minimalist on me all of a sudden. That’s an incredible photo you’ve got up there. Thanks for posting it. I have no doubt that those cupcakes taste even more ravishing than they look. PS: the piping looks perfect to me, despite what you say.

It’s a simple recipe I learned from my brother-in-law. It was a hit whenever I brought it for barkada get-togethers when my husband and I moved back to the Philippines for a year. My friend called it thousand-calorie bombs.

Step 1: Crush Oreo Cookies
Step 2: Mix (or is “fold” the proper term) with cream cheese.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, melt chocolate (whatever kind you like)
Step 4: Make balls of the cream cheese con Oreo.
Step 5: Coat the Oreo cream cheese balls with the melted chocolate.
Step 6: Pop in the freezer and wait, maybe, half an hour, until the balls are solid enough that they’re easy to hold in between your fingers.
Step 7: Take out of the freezer. Eat as many as you wish.
Step 8: Sugar crash.

They’re addicting. I once made half-inch balls, about 9 per tray for a party the next day. I opened the freezer in the morning and found a tray and a half missing. I once thought I was bad with sugar. My husband is about 5x worse.

Classic, moist, no-frills chocolate cupcakes. 🙂 I follow the traditional Hershey’s recipe. The bit of hot water added to the batter steams up these babies from the inside, keeping them nice and moist. I make the icing with good cocoa powder, good butter, good vanilla (really makes a difference) and a few splashes of milk then swirl them onto the cupcakes. I usually make them for family birthday parties since you can’t go wrong with chocolate and cakes made with Milton Hershey’s eponymous brainchild never fail to please. 🙂

Didi-
Funny how you posted this right after Serena’s mention of her chocolate cupcakes. Plenty of good choc-mayo cake recipes abound. Taking Serena’s cue, I suggest starting your search with the Hershey’s cookbooks.

I have been making this chocolate cake (got the GRAND AWARD for it in a locally sponsored Chocolympics in mid 90’s) which I formulated nearly 26 years ago! Always gets wiped out first anywhere I bring it! Next time you are in town, give me a shout and I shall make 2 loaves for you to lug it all the way home to Pinas. It can be frozen!